Show Oklahoma Going Orange Auburn Odd Team Out Despite 12 0 SEC Title Liz Clarke The Washington Post Southern California a n d d. d Oklahoma a finished th the college football season exactly where they began began as as the No 1 and 2 teams inthe inthe in inthe the land according to the Bowl Championship Series Series and and will play forthe for forthe forthe the national title in the Jan 4 Orange Bowl But that was about the only tidy aspect of the final standings which once again left left- bruised feelings and bewilderment in its wake as the pairings for the four major major bowls bowls were unveiled Sunday Like and Oklahoma Auburn finished finished finished fin fin- 12 It lIt won won the Southeastern Conference title but was overlooked forthe forthe for forthe the championship game The Tigers will head to New Orleans to face ACC champion champion champion cham cham- pion Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl on Jan 3 Coach Tommy can only hope a dominant showing there will stake a claim f for r his Tigers getting ashare ashare a ashare share of the na national onal title In any conference you go undefeated ed and win your championship game its it's pretty hard to explain to your players and fans and coaches that you dont don't have a chance to play forit all because you cant can't do any more said in a conference conference con con- feren ference e call Sunday night Its inconceivable inconceivable inconceivable incon incon- that you would go 12 and o 0 and not a chaI chance In California was shut of a bowl despite espite its only loss coming at the hands of top-ranked top Southern California Texas vaulted ahead of California to finish fourth in the final standings and clinch the remaining large at-large spot In doing so Texas bumped California out of the Rose Bowl denying college footballs football's oldest bowl game its traditional tradition tradition- al Pacific Big 10 Ten match The Longhorns 10 1 make their Rose Bowl debut against Big Ten champions Michigan 9 2 As expected Utah became the first team from a mid-major mid conference to earn a bowl bid finishing sixth in inthe inthe inthe the standings The 11 0 Utes were selected selected select select- ed by Fiesta Bowl officials who expect a large and fervent following to make the trip from Salt Lake City to Tempe Ariz Their opponent will be Big East champion champion champion cham cham- pion Pittsburgh widely viewed as the weak link in the pairings Pittsburgh earned its Fiesta Bowl spot despite an 83 83 8 83 3 record and rank in the final standings standings standings stand stand- ings because the Big East champion is guaranteed a berth in one of the lucrative bowls The thing that is unjust and unfair is is that the Big East in its weakened form fonn V with 1 e def and Miami still has a an lt a automatic matic b g I analyst Jerry Palm said said lh s. s not not Q t the e eway way the Big East was when all these contracts contracts contracts con con- tracts were signed Just how long the Big East will keep that automatic bid which is worth 14 million to the conference this year is among the topics officials plan to review this spring But its it's one of several issues sure to be debated and perhaps tweaked as conference commissioners tinker with their much-maligned much construct construct construct con con- for determining a national champi champi- on Said coordinator Kevin Weiberg who is also commissioner of the Big 12 The bottom line here is whatever formula formula formula for for- mula we have at the end of the day is probably one that will receive significant criticism in one way shape or r form fonn officials simplified their formula for rankings teams after last years year's standings standings standings stand- stand ings failed to produce a consensus national champion This season the opinions of humans carried more weight than those of computers with the weekly weekly week week- ly polls of college coaches and writers Park each ono tJ 1 1 t 1 n A v wi VU 3 total The final third thud reflected reflect d the average of six computer rankings Still computers p proved oved I California's undoing Cal finished fourth in both human polls but was dragged down by its sixth sixth-pl sixth place ce finish by the computers which deemed its schedule weaker than that of Texas Cal also hurt itself by struggling more than expected against its final opponent Southern Mississippi Saturday Cal entered the game needing a convincing win to maintain its edge over Texas and its 26 16 victory wasn't enough Were obviously very very disappointed disappointed dis dis- dis- dis appointed Cal coach Jeff Tedford said on ABCs ABC's selection show if if you have to go in and totally blow people out I dont don't think that serves served the integrity of the game Southern Cal Coach Pete Carroll also took issue with the outcome I dont don't see how that could have happened Carroll said of Cals Cal's slide in the standings r The They They played had really a great well season all year They long long us a great gave game For them to fall for some reason I dont don't get it because they didn't do step backward anything to take a as the on season went As a Jfe member of f the Ca Carroll Pac Pac-lO and U Carr Cals Cal's Care are erected affected by b the Pac PacI Pac 10 I 0 placed laced team two the teams Ha See Res continued c n on page 8 8 I r j. j continued from page 6 major bowl its payout would have been million instead of 14 million the payout for one team With Texas getting the final large at-large spot instead the Big 12 will collect the additional 45 mil mil- lion Virginia Tech's Frank Beamer came to Auburn's defense saying he felt the Tigers belonged in the national nation nation- al title game and revealing on ona a conference call that he had voted them No 2 the past five weeks Any time you go through the season undefeated and win a championship game in that league you deserve to play for the national championship championship championship champi champi- Beamer said Weiberg said he favored doing away with preseason rankings which handicapped Auburn and delaying the first polls until three or four weeks into the season Such suggestions suggestions suggestions have been rebuffed in the past vJ |